Rock & Graner battleship will sail to $45,000 at Bertoia Auctions

The circa 1900 Rock & Graner battleship leads US and European Toys in September

A magnificent Rock & Graner toy battleship is the exciting top lot of Bertoia Auctions' September 19-20 Fall Festival Sale in New Jersey.

Rock & Graner was one of the earliest producers of tin toys

The rare find was hand-painted in Germany circa 1900, and there is only one other known to exist. With some minor restoration needed, it will sell with a $35,000-45,000.

Rock & Graner was probably the earliest manufacturer of tin toys in Germany, along with the respected Marklin brand. Producing dollshouses, money boxes and trains among others, its ships are among the most sought after items for collectors today.

The boat features a detailed deck with observation platform. Clockwork driven, it is complete with lifeboats and its wooden mast.

The Marklin name is highly sought after by collectors

The second highest bids of the sale will go to a rare Marklin water tank wagon, which was once part of the collection of famous toy collector Donald Kaufman. Handpainted in 1912 and in excellent condition, it holds an $8,000-10,000 estimate.

When Kaufamn died in 2009, his astonishing collection of over 7,000 of the finest toys was offered by Bertoia Auctions, with a series of sales bringing over $7m so far.

Also starring is a scarce example of the Lehmann Ski Rolf figure, which is another fantastic example of early German toys. With its clockwork mechanism still working and even the original instructions, it is also estimated to make $8,000-10,000.

In November, Bertoia will offer the esteemed toy and mechanical bank collection of Max Berry.